So, what feels like several years ago now, I was invited to come out and see how the other half live, doing a day turn on an ambulance not far from my home in East London. The crew who were kind enough to take me aren’t bloggers, so I shall have to invent pseudonyms for them. I shall call them Ant and Dec. I was expecting this to be rather different from my last shift out with Steve, where the most exciting thing that happened was the football on the telly, and I wasn’t wrong. Steve works in a fairly posh suburban area where all (well, most) of the callers are polite and the calls are genuine. There’s no such thing as quiet in the ambulance service, but it’s certainly quieter. The area where Ant and Dec work — I’ll call it Callsville — in contrast, is a hot bed of activity. When we see a call coming in from Callsville we just know half the time it’s going to be a difficult one — someone shouting at us in a foreign language, demanding an ambulance but refusing an interpreter, and after half an hour we find out the ailment in question is toothache. The map of Callsville is always peppered with the triangular dots which represent outstanding calls, and us dispatchers know the road names up there by heart.
As I expected, our shift hadn’t even started when Control rang asking us to take an early job for an asthma attack. As they had me on board, Ant and Dec kindly offered up for it, and off we went. The first thing I noticed was the inferior standard of driving in the area. I know this is the pot calling the kettle black (my usual reaction to seeing an emergency vehicle is to panic, flap my hands and stall the car) but this was ridiculous — people cutting in front of the ambulance, tooting at it to get out of the way and generally acting like it wasn’t there. We got to the asthma attack, which was actually more like an asthmatic with a cough, and took her to Callsville Hospital. This hospital has rather a bad reputation; callers often ring up and say “you’re not going to take me to Callsville, are you?” The staff there were very nice, but the A+E department was very small and in need of a lick of paint. The cubicles, obviously meant for one patient, had been divided into two with a curtain meaning the patients were practically on top of each other.
Back in the ambulance, it was straight on to another job. A Category A maternity! I was momentarily excited as I envisaged delivering a baby in person. My excitement because trepidation as I approached the house and heard loud screaming, but on closer inspection this seemed to be coming from a small child. The mother-to-be was sitting on the sofa fully dressed in no obvious discomfort. We took her to the hospital, the most taxing part being persuading the aforementioned screaming child to board the ambulance, and waited whilst Callsville’s two maternity departments argued about who would take her.
Next were two seemingly identical calls to patients with “abdominal pain and near fainting” which turned out not to be identical at all. The first was a grown man who was crying and writhing around in agony. Dec had to give him morphine before we could go anywhere. He was later diagnosed with gallstones. The second was a young woman who just appeared to have a bit of stomachache and really should have been given a paracetamol and sent to bed. This was very interesting to me - abdominal pain calls are usually low priority (abdo pain is rarely serious or life threatening and when it is, it comes with other symptoms) and in control, we are taught to ignore how painful an ailment is and concentrate on how likely it is to be life threatening. It’s only when you see it in real life that you realise what it is really like to be in that severe pain.
We were just on our way to a very boring sounding green call when Control radioed for someone to go to a Multiple Fitting call in a school 5 miles away. I suggested we offer up for it.
“They’ll never let us, it’s miles away!” said Ant.
“Bet they do,” I said, and I was right. Eight minutes later, and a nausea inducing sprint down the dual carriage at breakneck speed, we were there. I huffed and puffed my way across the school grounds and up a flight of stairs carrying a carrychair and a blanket, and was ushered into the room where the patient was…
She sat up and smiled at us. Still, all’s well that ends well.
The local hospital was now the Royal London (there is no point changing the name!) so we dropped the patient off there and went for a wander around. Dec saw Martin from Trauma in the corridor (I missed him, damnit) and I got to see HEMS taking off. Ant was going to take me up to the helipad to meet the HEMS team and see the copter, but someone very inconsiderately decided to have a major accident the other side of London, and they all disappeared.
The next call was in another school, and was to a very morose eight-year-old who’d had a fall ice skating and bumped his head. He seemed to be fine but it is best to get head injuries checked out in hospital. Ant and Dec had limited success trying to explain this to the child’s father, who was taking the attitude “if it doesn’t hurt, he must be fine”. In the end they had to use all their persuasive wiles to charm them into the ambulance. I tried to get the solemn looking kid to cheer up by showing him the ambulance and telling him he was very lucky to get a ride in our special ambulance. This made him cry! When I was his age I would have jumped for a chance to ride in an ambulance. I would probably have got injured deliberately if I’d thought of it. Ant said that I was probably one of those attention seeking children at school. I don’t know what he meant by that.
After Miserable Sprog had been delivered to Callsville Hospital, Control decided to put us on a break. I told Ant and Dec to take a scenic route back to station or go off the road with a dirty uniform, but Control weren’t having any of it. Beaten at my own game!
After a false start chasing after an assault victim who decided not to bother waiting for the ambulance, there was just time for one last call. This was to a woman who had everything in the world wrong with her. Her daughter had called because she’d had some unfortunate accident with a falling pole landing on her head, but Ant and Dec were more concerned with the slight chest pains she was having. They got her in the back of the ambulance and did a 12-lead ECG, which showed she wasn’t having a heart attack, but treated her with aspirin and GTN anyway. We took her to hospital. Ant and Dec argued half the way there about whether she should be blued in. In the end, they decided not to, which was very disappointing from my point of view as I would have been the one making the blue call.
After that, our twelve hours were up and it was home for a well earned rest. I was even more knackered than after my usual twelve hour stints in Control. It was a very interesting day and I learned lots of stuff (mainly about why crews hate break) and though I was slightly disappointed that there was no gory trauma or blue calls, I certainly got to see the whole spectrum. I’m still waiting to see a suspended so I will be out observing again soon — but I fear that five observing shifts without a Vomit Incident is starting to push my luck. I might go to the next one wearing a rubber apron!
March 14th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[...] Original post by Mark Myers and powered by Img Fly [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 4:29 pm
For some reason I read treated her with aspirin and GTN anyway as Gin n’Tonic … which possibly speaks volumes about my state of mind!
March 14th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
[...] Original post by Mark Myers and plugin by Elliott Back [...]
March 14th, 2007 at 8:38 pm
I cannot believe you’ve done 5 observing shifts without vomiting yourself - sitting sideways and blind in the back of an ambulance screaming through suburban backstreets on blues is the most vomit-inducing experience I have ever endured.
Must remember to take some GnT out with me next time
March 14th, 2007 at 11:13 pm
“When I was his age I would have jumped for a chance to ride in an ambulance. I would probably have got injured deliberately if I’d thought of it.”
I’ve always wanted to go in an ambulance! How that kid can refuse to go in one is beyond me. Can’t say I’ve ever deliberately got injured though. I had a pretty impressive bang to the head at school when I was 12 (some inconsiderate Year 11 slammed a set of double doors into my head), but the school got my mum to take me to A&E. That was disappointing…:(
March 15th, 2007 at 12:00 am
Looks like your observers curse may be subsiding…hope u enjoyed your day
March 15th, 2007 at 2:30 am
Blimey, when I banged my head in the school playground everyone heard the bang, but I never even got a rub on the head never mind an ambulance! How times change…
That kid’s just a wuss. My little nephew was really ill when he got blued into hospital (apendix) but he still thought it was exciting!
Glad you enjoyed yourself Mark, and nice to see you back.
March 15th, 2007 at 6:13 am
I have to tell u I am absolutely loving this blog. Im in South Africa and studying Basic Life Support or Ambulance Assistant as its better know. I lived in London for 4 years, worked in Harrods as a make up artist and then decided BORING I needed to do something more rewarding and so the EMS bug got me.
I have been into one or two blogs re paramedics but this one is brilliant and I have gotten a few deathly (no pun intended) stares from co-workers when I burst out laughing. Im also learning a lot just by reading your comments. Great stuff Nee Naw, keep if up yeah?
March 15th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Not many babies are born before arrival, (but it does happen, I know, I am looking at one right now! And the ‘men with the gas and air’ did a fine job of delivering him.) But when it does happen it is pretty scary for all concerned and two lives are at risk.
But I was wondering if the reason so many women and their partners (who panics the most?) think normal labour warrant’s an ambulance is to do with the way in which maternity care has become so very clinical, and has stepped away from being seen as the natural process that normal delivery is? Have we got to the stage that women in labour just give up taking responsibility for them selves?
Answers on a post card please.
March 15th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
nice to see you had a nice range of jobs.
does it want you to do your AA2 course or head over to road crew.
March 15th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
Opp’s sorry! Break down in communication LOL the Maternity comment at 1:44 was supposed to be over at Mr Reynolds blog (well as you can see it is a ‘random’ comment in the context of your thread!)
March 16th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
Hello Mark, it’s good to have you back.
In response to uphilldowndale re: expectant moms and ambulances I would comment as follows:-
When my wife blessed us with our first child 7 years ago, labour pains started at 01:30
She woke me up at 06:00 as she thought I should start getting ready to go to the hospital. I showered, dressed and then waited for her next instruction.
07:00 I telephoned the hospital to inform maternity of the current state of play. They advised me to wait a little longer and then could I please bring my wife in to the hospital and they would assist from there.
We arrived at 07:30, were shown to our delivery room (we have several in our hospital) and waited for nature to take its course.
10:01 my beautifaul baby daughter arrived all safe and sound.
Why call for an ambulance unless it’s life threatening.
I have come close to a baby being born on my shifts with the Jonners but no such luck yet.
Mark, keep up the good work and more please from your next observing trip out.
March 17th, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Trooper man..Glad to hear you got good nights kip before the birth.
If it were me I would have been tempted to wake and tell you how much the contractions’ hurt, (it’s important to share the birth experience with ones partner!!)
Joking apart, I imagine your wife must have been exhausted, labouring through the night when your body would rather be asleep doesn’t sound like fun, but then she probably hadn’t had a good nights sleep for months….
March 18th, 2007 at 5:50 pm
Moving back to my old station Mark…..fancy coming out on a Saturday day shift? I’m sure we can find a suspended for you - 3rd time lucky - oh wait, it’ll be fourth time…..
March 18th, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Yes, definitely. Will drop you an email!
March 19th, 2007 at 10:01 am
uphilldowndale said:
“Joking apart, I imagine your wife must have been exhausted, labouring through the night when your body would rather be asleep doesn’t sound like fun, but then she probably hadn’t had a good nights sleep for months….”
And probably wouldn’t get one for another few months!
Mark, glad your shift went OK!
Regards
Nick
http://nickhough.blogspot.com
March 19th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Hi uphillowndale
Thanks for the comments.
My wife was incredible considering this was our first baby. She said afterwards that she felt I needed to sleep with all that was about to happen.
I did share in the delivery, I was there and watched and helped with the arrival. What an experience! I strongly recommend it to any expantant father. The only down side was the black thumb after she gripped me so hard right near the end of the birth. Small price to pay for such a beautiful baby.
Foot note. She got all the way theough labour without entonox until the last 10 minutes. According to the hospital the 7000 litre container was drained after her using it! Joke honetsly.
regards TM
March 20th, 2007 at 5:52 am
I remember doing work experience with the Tasmania Ambulance Service and that included stints in the control room and with the crews in the ambulances.
It’s definitely something I’ve never forgotten and shed a lot of light on how the whole system operates.
I never did become a paramedic, but none the less learnt some interesting things.
Recently I was on the receiving end of paramedic care, ambulance and helicopter, the works.
I think my little stintwith the TAS helped me to communicate with the paramedics a lot better than the average punter out there.
Probably a good thing I was able to communicate at all.
March 20th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Morning TM
When expecting my first child I attended ante-natal class in the depth’s of winter.When a fistful of snow flakes fell the class was thrown in to mass hysteria, living out in the wilds, we were all convinced we would be ‘snowed in’ behind six foot snow drifts, and that when in labour we would be unable to get out to hospital and would give birth unattended in a house with no power or lighting (we had vivid imaginations)
Sensing our rising panic our wise tutor called in one of the local paramedics, who fed us reassuring words about snowplough’s clearing a path to or door, (how true this was is questionable, but it was what we needed to hear at the time).
He also brought us a bottle of entonox to sample; a few of us took dainty little sips, with little or no effect. Then Mr Uphilldowndale, who is a highly competitive and talented fell runner (well I think so!) asked if he could give it a try. He took a huge ‘runners lung full’ of the stuff, and collapsed to the floor consumed by uncontrollable laughter. Now as laughter is contagious and he did look particularly silly rolling around on the floor the rest of the group were also overwhelmed with laughter.
Ten very pregnant ladies, consumed with laughter = 10 pairs of wet knickers.
Not nice!
March 20th, 2007 at 2:22 pm
Hate to say it but I know where ‘callsville hospital’ is just from the description. I am a student who has been put there on placement and would have to agree with what you said about it. I am the butt of many jokes for being there though - every time i go to lectures I get many ‘thank god it’s you and not me in that place’ comments from the snobs who are in another hospital. Having said that I do quite like it there.
March 20th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
The baby born during call scenario is extremely rare. I have been calltaking for 2 year, without ever experiencing this. This all changed on Sunday Morning. Slouched over my computer at 5:30am on Sunday after an extremely busy St Patricks Day saturday night shift, my 999 line started ringing. On answering, i was greeted by a very calm man who gave me his address. I inquired as to what the problem was and the man explained that his wife had gone into labour. Assuming this was the usual waters broken, contractions at about 10 minute intervals situation, I started asking the routine questions. It was at this point the man explained that the head was showing. Immediately I changed from my still slightly slouch position to an upright posture and fumbled around the system for the Childbirth in progress instructions. I had just got to the point of instructing the man to get plenty of clean towels when he proclaimed that the whole baby was out. Its a girl the dad said. My adrenaline started pumping when I realised that I could not hear the baby crying. On asking what colour the babys face was the dad explained that it was purple and that the babies eyes were not open. It very quickly dawned on me that i had to start with neonatal cpr instructions - I’m not quite sure the dad quite understood that this was a serious situation. It was at that point that Gill, a colleague sitting next to me told me to tell the dad to tickle the baby’s feet. I gingerly instructed the dad to do this and suddenly, the sound of a baby crying nearly bought tears to my eyes. I can’t explain the happy feeling that came over me. In my two years as a calltaker, I’ve never felt so involved in the situation and so proud. However, I hope i don’t have this experience again anytime soon!! Its not good for the grey hairs!!
March 21st, 2007 at 12:46 pm
Marcus, the guy was still calm? Even with the babies head showing?! That’s incredible!
I had the opportunity to attend a crash course on Midwifery a couple of weekends ago (as part of doing my AA2), and that was sufficient to make me pray to whichever God will listen that I never have to deliver a kid!
Regards
Nick
http://nickhough.blogspot.com
March 22nd, 2007 at 9:52 pm
Hi uphilldowndale
Entonox, the very word conjures up memories of being out on duty and having to drain the demand valve at the end of shift (Oh and of course priming it at the start).
Laughing gas is what it is. Dentists used to use it before they became addicted to the stuff. Easy to see how when you’ve tried it yourself!!
Glad snow did’t stop play with the birth and as a matter of interest, people like me who have 4×4s and are Jonners offer our services to the ambulnace service in really bad weather. They sometimes need the help!
TTFN and catch up in afew days
Regards
TM